Why are you still waiting?

Key Verse: “So Joshua said to the Israelites: “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has given you?” Joshua 18:3

As the children of Israel finally begin to take possession of their inheritance, we find that there are seven tribes that for some reason, have failed to receive their inheritance. For some reason, they weren’t living in the promise. The same problem exists in the church today, there are many of God’s people who are not living the lives God planned for them because they haven’t taken hold of the promises of God.

We must recognize that when the bible says they had not received their inheritance, what it actually means is that they had failed to drive out the enemy. It was an evident fact that their land though promised to them by God, was inhabited by people who opposed their right to the land. The land belonged to the children of Israel by right of inheritance, by promise, but it was occupied and dominated by their enemies. To possess their inheritance meant they had to dispossess the enemy.

So in Joshua 18:3, Joshua asked them a hard question ‘How long are you going to waste time (conquering) the land which the LORD God of your ancestors has given you?’ Joshua was asking them how long they were going to hang back, and put off, possessing their inheritance. How long were they going to be lazy, self-preserving, fearful, and unwilling to engage the enemy and take their land? The point is:

Firstly, the land had been given to them by God

Secondly, it was their responsibility to do whatever they had to do in order to take possession of it.

The word of God is rich with Gods promises toward the children of God. But as it was then, even so, is it today, there are enemies to us possessing our inheritance and we must be willing to fight for what is legally ours. One reason many of Gods people are cheated out of their inheritance is: because they do not know what belongs to them (Hosea 4:6), but another is we are just plain lazy and would rather live a low-level mediocre self-preserving life than have to engage the enemy and claim the promise.

It’s time for us to drive out every enemy of our promises and take possession of what belongs to us through the redemptive work of Christ Jesus.

Reflection

What areas of life are you fearful to claim victory?

What victories are promised you in Christ?

Prayer

Father, Thank You that You are a God who keeps His promises. Thank You that you never fail to keep Your word. Help us then to trust You and to live the life You plan for us. Help us to drive out the enemies that are holding us back, to live in the victory that Christ has won. In Jesus’ name, Amen

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